With its lush forests and gentle surrounding plain, beautiful, fantastical Sintra has long been a favourite summer resort for Portuguese and foreign visitors. The area, a mix of lush wooded hills and extraordinary pleasure palaces, was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1995. Lord Byron was enamoured of Sintra and likened it to “Elysium’s gates”. In Childe Harold, he wrote: “Lo! Cintra’s glorious Eden intervenes in variegated maze of mount and glen.”

Some 32km (20 miles) to the northwest of Lisbon, Sintra is another world, with its own climate – a clash of warm southerlies and moist westerlies over the Serra da Sintra. The most practical way to go is by train from Rossio station. Trains run regularly, taking 35 minutes and stopping at Queluz-Belas, for the palace, after 20 minutes. If you drive, try to avoid rush hour. The road to Sintra from Lisbon starts at the Praça Marquês de Pombal and is well marked. Avenida Duarte Pacheco runs into the auto-estrada or super highway that leads out of town, past the Aqueduto das Aguas Livres, up the hill through Parque de Monsanto, turning right to join the highway to Sintra.

Queluz Palace

A slight detour to visit Queluz 7 [map] is worthwhile. The town has become a rather drab Lisbon dormitory, but its rose-coloured palace is anything but. The palácio (daily 9.45am–7pm) was built as a simple manor for King Pedro II in the mid-1600s and was enlarged when the court moved there. Most of the palace, including its magnificent facade, is Baroque, but the courtyard and formal gardens were modelled after Versailles. In summer, concerts are sometimes held in the Music Room. At other times, the public may visit the lavishly decorated Throne Room with its fine painted wood ceiling, the Hall of Mirrors, the Ambassador’s Room, and others. The kitchen, with a stone chimney and copperware, has been turned into a luxury restaurant, Cozinha Velha. The palace and gardens are a spectacular stage during August and September for Noites de Queluz, enchanting musical re-creations of 18th-century court life. The Alter Real horses of Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre, with the riders in full courtly regalia, also perform outside the palace at 11am every Wednesday (May–July, September and October).

The Palácio Nacional at Sintra, with its distinctive chimney cones.

Lydia Evans/Apa Publications

Architectural excess at Palácio da Pena.

Lydia Evans/Apa Publications

Sintra Vila

Back on the main road continue along rolling hills, past modest whitewashed villages and rich quintas (manors) to arrive at the Serra de Sintra. At the base of the mountain lies the village of São Pedro de Sintra, where, on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, a wonderful country fair and flea and book market takes place. São Pedro is also known for its popular tavernas, with spicy sausages, hearty codfish and heady wines. The road now climbs slightly and curves around the mountain to reach Sintra Vila 8 [map], the historic centre of Sintra, where you will find the tourist office, off Praça de República. The road to the left, Rua Gil Vicente, leads down to Museu Ferreira de Castro A [map] (Tue–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat–Sun noon–6pm), dedicated to the works of the great Portuguese novelist Ferreira de Castro (1898–1974). A little further on is Hotel Lawrence B [map], formerly Estalagem dos Cavaleiros, where Lord Byron stayed in 1809, and now restored as an inn under its original name.

The centrepiece of Sintra is the royal palace, the Paço Real, now called the Palácio Nacional de Sintra C [map] (Thu–Tue 9.30am–5.30pm), parts of which date from the 14th century. Broad stairs lead up to the stately building with Gothic arches, Moorish windows and two extraordinary chimney cones above enormous kitchens. Of special interest are the Sala dos Brasões, with remarkable ceiling panels painted in 1515, which show the coat of arms of 71 Portuguese noble families (that of the Távoras was removed after the conspiracy against King José in 1758); the Sala dos Arabes, with marble fountain and 15th-century Moorish tiles; the Sala dos Cisnes, an enormous reception hall with swans painted on the panelled ceiling; and the Sala das Pegas, its ceiling covered with magpies brandishing banners reading “Por Bem”. It is said that when Queen Philippa caught João I dallying with a lady-in-waiting he claimed it was an innocent kiss. “Por Bem”, he said, which loosely translated means: “It’s all for the best”. Philippa’s response is not recorded.

A winged sculpture.

Lydia Evans/Apa Publications

The other Sintra

Estefânia, the third district of Sintra, is where you go to catch the train or a local bus to Lisbon. Walking in that direction from the historic centre, you will reach the Museu de Brinquedo D [map] (Tue–Sun 10am–6pm), a charming toy museum full of vintage play things; and then come to the Casa Museu Anjos Teixeira E [map] (Tue–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat–Sun 2–6pm), which houses an important collection of sculptures.

Shortly after this, on the left and before the bus and railway stations, is Sintra’s handsome Town Hall. It has a square castellated tower with a steeple in an exuberant Gothic style. Housed in a grand building, in Avenida Heliodoro Salqado, is the Museu de Arte Moderna F [map] (Tue–Sun 10am–6pm), containing works by Hockney, Lichtenstein and many other 20th-century artists.

Looking out from the Palácio Nacional da Pena.

Lydia Evans/Apa Publications

Mountain retreats

Sintra’s other palace-museum, the Palácio Nacional da Pena G [map] (Tue–Sun, May–Sept 9.45am–7pm, Oct–Apr 10am–6pm), dominates the town from the top of the mountain. The road winds up steep rocky slopes through thick woods to the castle, built on the site of a 16th-century monastery: you can walk up, drive or take a quaint bus.

Across the way, reached by the bus to Palácio Nacional da Pena, are the ruins of another mountain-top castle, the Castelo dos Mouros H [map] (daily May–Sept 9.30am–8pm, Oct–Apr 10am–6pm), dating from about the 11th century. The fortifications visible along the mountain ridge were restored in the middle of the 19th century. To the southwest rises the highest peak, Cruz Alta, at 540 metres (1,772ft), marked by a stone cross. The mountainside is a luxuriant mass – subtropical plants, mossy boulders, giant ferns, walnut, chestnut and pine trees, and rhododendron bushes. One of the strangest sights on the mountain is the Convento dos Capuchos (daily Apr–Sept 9.30am–8pm, Oct–Mar 10am–6pm), a 16th-century monastery built entirely of rocks and cork. Some say the monks lined their cells with cork to obtain absolute silence, but there is little noise here other than bird sounds. More likely, the cork helped insulate them from the long bitter winters.

Palácio de Seteais.

Lydia Evans/Apa Publications

Palatial accommodation

On the outskirts of Sintra Vila (on the way to Colares) stands the Palácio de Seteais, an obscure name said to mean “the seven sighs”. This was where the Convention of Sintra was signed in 1809, after the defeat of Napoleon by British and Portuguese forces. It is said that the terms of the treaty upset the Portuguese so much that the palace became known for their sighs of despair. Seteais was restored and turned into a luxury hotel in 1955 and should be visited, if only for tea or a drink. The elegant rooms contain crystal chandeliers, wall hangings, murals and antique furnishings. From the gardens you have a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside.

Almost opposite is the remarkable Quinta da Regaleira (daily Apr–Sept 10am–8pm, Feb–Mar and Oct until 6.30pm, Nov–Jan until 5.30pm), built at the close of the 19th century as an assembly of Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance styles that would be out of place anywhere but here. This is one of Sintra’s most spectacular sights, with magical gardens filled with follies, which culminate in the initiation well, reached via a mysterious descending spiral staircase.

Nearby is the Palácio de Monserrate (daily 9.30am–7pm), a strange Moorish-type villa built in the 19th century. The exotic garden (daily 9.30am–8pm) and greenhouse are worth seeing for the trees and plants from all over the world: palms, bamboos, cedars, magnolias, cork oaks, pines and giant ferns. Once part of the Monserrate gardens, the Quinta de São Thiago is a 16th-century manor with a fine chapel, splendid kitchen, cell-like bedrooms, gardens, and its own swimming pool. The owners found taxes and other expenses prohibitive and opened the quinta to paying guests. You can also stay in the nearby Quinta da Capela.

Coastal excursions

For a delightful excursion, the road to Colares leads through vineyards, whitewashed hamlets and stone walls to the sea. En route you could visit the Adega Regional 9 [map] (Mon–Fri 9am–1pm, 2–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm; free), a traditional winery. Colares grapes grow in sandy soil in a humid maritime climate. The wines are dark ruby and very smooth.

Cabo da Roca ) [map] is a wild desolate cape, the westernmost point of continental Europe, and visitors receive a certificate to mark their visit. Heading north, there are several beaches frequented mainly by the Portuguese: broad, sandy Praia Grande ! [map] and Praia das Maçãs @ [map]. The attractive fishing village of Azenhas do Mar £ [map] has a natural rock swimming pool.

The great library at Mafra.

Turismo de Portugal

Magnificent Mafra

Heading north towards the coast you reach Ericeira $ [map], a beach resort and fishing village. From here, an easy 10km (6-mile) drive inland takes you to Mafra % [map], a name shared by a modest village and a vast palace-convent (Wed–Mon 10am–5.30pm) that rises like a dark mirage across the plain. The complex of buildings, almost as large as Spain’s Escorial, was erected by João V in fulfilment of a vow. Work began in 1717 and took 18 years, drawing so many artists from so many countries that João founded the School of Mafra, making these talented men masters to local apprentices. The most famous teacher was Joaquim Machado de Castro, who also worked on Lisbon’s Basílica da Estrela (for more information, click here).

The limestone facade is 220 metres (720ft) long. At its centre is the church, with two tall towers and an Italianate portico. The interior is decorated with the finest Portuguese marble, while the 14 large statues of saints in the vestibule were carved from Carrara marble by Italian sculptors. The church also contains six organs. Most impressive is the library, full of Baroque magnificence and light. Among its 35,000 volumes are first editions of Os Lusíadas by Camões, and the earliest edition of Homer in Greek. Other areas open to the public include the hospital, the pharmacy, the audience room and the chapterhouse.